Phumelele Cafu to Defend WBO Title in May; Roman Gonzalez Fight Off

Phumelele Cafu will defend his WBO junior bantamweight title in late May in South Africa, but a fight with Roman Gonzalez has been cancelled. Cafu’s earlier discussions with Gonzalez fell through, leaving him without an opponent. Cafu expresses excitement to defend his title at home, with the possibility of facing Gonzalez later this year if victorious.

Phumelele Cafu is set to defend his WBO junior bantamweight title in South Africa in late May, though he will not be facing the renowned Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez. Additionally, negotiations for a potential matchup between Cafu and Gonzalez, which were previously underway, have now been terminated, leaving Cafu without an opponent for the time being. Cafu expressed on social media, “For whatever reason, the Chocolatito fight has not come together. We are now moving ahead with Cafu’s first defense of his World title right here in South Africa.” Although a precise date and opponent have yet to be established, Cafu is keen to compete in his home country following his successful title win in Tokyo against Kosei Tanaka.

Cafu, who holds an impressive record of 11 wins, no losses, and 3 draws, plans to maintain his momentum after his October victory over Tanaka disrupted previous plans for Gonzalez to face Tanaka. Despite being willing to travel for the right matchup, Cafu is content to defend his title at home under these circumstances. Sources indicate that if Cafu is victorious in May, a future bout with Gonzalez may be considered later in the year in Managua, Nicaragua, contingent on the outcome of Cafu’s upcoming fight.

Meanwhile, it remains uncertain whether Gonzalez will secure a stay-busy fight before the conclusion of Cafu’s title defense. Gonzalez’s last bout resulted in a tenth-round knockout against Rober Barrera; however, he has not fought since December 2022 against Juan Francisco Estrada. This previous plan for a fight with Cafu would have marked Gonzalez’s first title contest in his own hometown, further heightening anticipation surrounding the potential meeting should it come to fruition after Cafu’s defense in May.

In summary, Phumelele Cafu’s upcoming WBO title defense in South Africa is confirmed for late May, though the anticipated fight with Roman Gonzalez has been postponed indefinitely. Cafu is eager to capitalise on the opportunity to defend his title at home. Future matchups remain possible, particularly with Gonzalez, should Cafu secure victory in his next fight.

Original Source: ringmagazine.com